Marathon Pundit

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Report from the bloggers' conference call with Sen. James Inhofe--he predicts a GOP Senate in '12

Before it was fashionable, at least in conservative circles, to challenge the veracity of man-made global warming, Senator James Inhofe (R-OK) was blowing, excuse me, cold air on environmentalists' assertions on this subject. Read about it here and here.

Global warming, Inhofe says, is the "greatest hoax ever perpetrated on the American people."

Early this afternoon Inhofe hosted a bloggers' conference call. The topic was the Environmental Protection Agency and the McConnell Amendment, which if enacted, will prevent the EPA from regulating greenhouse gases. It's similar to legislation the Oklahoman originally drafted.

After President Obama's election, his administration and the then-Democratic majority in Congress tried to ram cap and trade into law. They failed--now the White House is using the EPA and the regulatory route to implement their Plan B. Inhofe says their goal is "to do away with fossil fuels."

Inhofe commented on Obama's Georgetown speech in which he pledged to cut our oil imports by one-third. As I remarked earlier today, Obama's plan does not include more domestic drilling. However, Inhofe cited a Congressional Research Service report that the United States "has more the world's largest recoverable reserves of oil, [natural] gas, and coal of any place in the world. "

But how much is that? Fifty years of oil for our nation, ninety years of natural gas. Inhofe said. The United States has 28 percent of the world's coal reserves, including I'd like to add quite a bit in Illinois. Inhofe didn't cite how many years' supply of coal we have in our reserves, but more than 200 years-worth is a generally-agreed upon figure.

Inhofe isn't confident that Obama will change his energy policy. While keeping an eye on Illinois politics, I've learned that it is important to follow the money. Which is what Inhofe is doing. Of the president, Inhofe remarked, "He's got to cater to the new people who are the financial backbone of the Democratic Party--that is the party of the environmentalists." Those "new people" include George Soros, Hollywood celebrities, Michael Moore, and the Al Gore wing. And of those new people, Inhofe declared, "[Obama] can't lose that base." Which is why the senator believes the president won't give up the fight on having the EPA regulate greenhouse gases.

Inhofe also discussed the Republican Party's prospects in 2012, he predicts a GOP takeover of the Senate.

Slightly related post:

My Kansas Kronikles: Oklahoma's strange panhandle

Technorati tags:

Democrats

politics

economy

Drill here, drill now

oil

coal

Obama authorized secret support for Libyan rebels

Reuters is reporting that in the last two or three weeks President Obama authorized a "finding" which allows secret support of the Libyan rebels. Details on what that support consist of is unclear. No government, in fact no organization can exist without secrets, but this is something that Senator Obama would not have tolerated during the Bush administration. What's more troubling here is that no one seems to know what kind of people we are supporting there. Are they Velvet Revolution-type supporters of democracy or are they al Qaeda terrorists? Or are they combination of both?

Does Obama know?

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Obama's oil policy at war with economic common sense

Oil is there. Take it!

Earlier today at Georgetown University President Obama said he wants to cut oil imports by one-third. That may sound like good news, but his game plan is the usual mishmash of liberal "solutions." These include more electric cars, better fuel-efficiency, and natural gas for trucks. As for the first one, the partially-electric Chevrolet Volt and the Nissan Leaf are selling about as well as dung at a gourmet restaurant. The other two have their merits, but so does expanding drilling and the exploration for new domestic oil reserves. But Obama does not support "Drill here, drill now," despite his claims to the contrary.

Obama had this to say 364 days ago:

The bottom line is this: Given our energy needs, in order to sustain economic growth and produce jobs, and keep our businesses competitive, we are going to need to harness traditional sources of fuel even as we ramp up production of new sources of renewable, homegrown energy.

Now he wants to cut oil imports by one-third. In Obama's hyper-partisan mindset that makes more sense. His Gulf of Mexico "permatorium" continues, and his Interior Department's "wild lands" policy could block drilling for oil and natural gas on millions of acres of federally-owned land in the west.

Our economy depends on energy, primarily fossil fuels. Despite Obama's audacious hope, that won't change for decades.

Obama is battling economic common sense.

Have you checked the price of gasoline lately?

Related posts:

Obama's oil press conference lie

Obama and oil: The audaciousness of this man

Utah groups sue over Interior's anti-energy "wild lands" policy

Technorati tags:

Democrats

politics

economy

Drill here, drill now

oil

green

Roskam: High taxes have consequences

Next stop, Texas?

Caterpillar has been headquartered in Peoria, Illinois for 101 years. But the Pat Quinn income tax hike, and a generally nasty business environment--for instance, Illinois' workers' compensation laws need reform--has "Cat" eyeing out-of-state exit ramps.

Which is the subject of a Daily Caller op-ed from US Rep. Peter Roskam (R-IL), the Chief House Majority Whip.

Over-taxing and over-regulation have consequences.

Caterpillar, a Fortune 500 company that employs 23,000 workers in Illinois, currently finds itself dealing with a new tax increase in an already over-taxed state. Their CEO, Doug Oberhelman, sent a warning shot on March 21st with a letter to Illinois' new Democrat Governor Pat Quinn:

"I want to stay here," Oberhelman wrote. "But as the leader of this business, I have to do what’s right for Caterpillar when making decisions about where to invest. The direction that this state is headed in is not favorable to business, and I'd like to work with you to change that."

The "direction" Oberhelman refers to is the economic sinkhole that Governor Pat Quinn recently plunged Illinois deeper into by raising taxes on employers by 30%. Overnight, Illinois went from having the 21st highest overall corporate tax rate in America to the 3rd.